Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, PDA's, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card.
The memory card, itself, writes or reads via the connector and can transmit between electrical appliances, such as a word processor, personal computer, personal data assistant or the like. The card may be used in applications such as mobile or cellular telephones which are actuated and permit data access after identifying an identification code stored on a SIM (subscriber identification module) card. The SIM card has a conductive face with an array of contacts, and the mobile phone has a SIM card connector with terminals for electrical connection with the contacts of the SIM card to ensure the subscriber identification confirmation.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a prior art memory or SIM card connector, generally designated 10, as might be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,891. The connector includes an insulative or plastic housing 12 which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions 14 projecting upwardly from the housing. A metal cover 16 is pivotally mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between an open position shown in FIG. 1(a) to allow a memory or SIM card to be inserted into the cover, and a closed and latched position shown in FIG. 1(b) whereat contacts of the memory card are brought into engagement with the contact portions 14 of the terminals on the housing. The housing has a pair of mounting portions 12(a) at one end thereof. The outside face of each mounting portion 12a is provided with a two-part pivot socket which includes a pivot recess 18a, a latch recess 18b and a detent ridge 18c therebetween. Metal cover 16 has a pair of spring arms 16a at opposite sides thereof, with each spring arm formed with an inwardly projecting pivot projection 20.
In the operation of prior art connector 10, metal cover 16 is pivoted to its open position shown in FIG. 1(a) and a SIM card is inserted or mounted within the underside of the cover. The cover and SIM card then are pivoted downwardly to a closed position, with pivot projections 20 disposed within pivot recesses 18a. This brings the contacts on the SIM card into engagement with contact portions 14 of the terminals mounted on housing 12. The cover then is slidingly moved in the direction of arrow “A” (FIG. 1(b) ) as pivot projections 20 move over detent ridges 18c and into latch recesses 18b. The detent ridges create an audible and/or tactile indication that the cover has moved from its closed position to its latched position whereat appropriate latch means, such as at 22, prevent the cover from pivoting back upwardly away from its latch position.
Although SIM card connectors 10 of the prior art may be satisfactory for some purposes, because of the metal-on-plastic interengagement of the metal cover and the plastic housing at the pivot area therebetween, considerable wearing or deterioration of the plastic occurs after the connector is subjected to repeated opening and closing of the cover relative to the housing. The pivot connections between the cover and the housing become loose, and the cover is easily displaced from the housing, particularly if the connector is subjected to shock, such as dropping a mobile telephone onto the ground. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an improved pivot connection between the cover and the housing of such connectors.